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Concept of Silicon Valley is no longer tied to any geography

Spread of AI, blockchain and more is spreading tech-led innovation - with no boundaries



There is no limit to how well nations can use the power of technology. Welcome to the world of DeepTech.
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Considered the epicenter of technological innovation, Silicon Valley has lost its sovereignty. Today, Silicon Valley is everywhere due to several mega-trends including democratization of technology, technocracy, and the emergence of tech hubs in China and India.

The borders that defined the limits of capability in the past are dissolving and becoming irrelevant. For instance, physical locations of companies are having a lesser impact on investment prospects, supply chain efficiencies and the quality of talent. The rise of technocracy also has a big role to play in the shift to an omnipresent innovation culture. Technology is increasingly becoming the decisive factor determining the stability of governments and national economies. Technological innovations now represent one of the main paths of authority impacting the success of national priorities such as public health, geopolitics, military, industry, education, and many more.

A good example of the notion that Silicon Valley is now everywhere is the book 'The Future is Asian'. I believe that demographic trends alone will ensure that the future is Asian indeed. However, by the time the future becomes Asian, all facets of distinction may become obsolete.

Outside of Asia, Dubai is a burgeoning hub for AI. With its unique mix of resources and ambition, Dubai is primed to become an AI powerhouse.

Elsewhere, the number of AI companies in London is on the rise, exceeding that of New York, and amounting to double the number of those in Paris and Berlin combined. The city’s AI firms received 3.4 billion pounds in investments during 2021, an increase of more than 36 per cent from 2020.

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The UK GDP could be boosted by as much as 10.3 per cent in 2030 thanks to AI, adding a staggering 232 billion pounds to the national economy.

'Global' tech

The next chapter in the book of globalization will not be about any specific country or economy. Technology itself is set to be the full and final globalizing, border-fusing and yet unifying power. Regions will compete based on technological progress as opposed to ideology and politics.

At that point, transparency will be of utmost importance. Humanity’s tech-enabled achievements should be completely transparent and auditable—we should be able to see evidence of progress and address any signs of faltering.

In the near future, as these mega-trends mature and the fusion of borders crystalizes, the only dividing factors between nations and economies will be centered around technology and the extent to which it is working successfully and for the greater good.

The rise of technocracy is not only bridging divides and replicating Silicon Valley globally, it is also boosting the use of technology for social good and humanity at large. At the core of humanity across all ethnicities, religions and genders lies a unifying basic instinct to live longer and healthier.

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To succeed at healthy longevity, we need much more than DeepTech. We need technocratic policies to govern and advance key sectors such as human longevity.

Tech as national wealth creator

For example, ‘Longevity Industrialization’ might solve the issues of overpopulation and ecological collapse rather than exacerbate them. It is part of a larger trend, involving the full-scale commodification and democratization of DeepTech and leading to the 5th Industrial Revolution, which will necessarily involve expansion of humanity beyond Earth.

We will soon see economies fiercely competing on technological progress and the inclusive transfer of the benefits of DeepTech for the health, wealth and wellbeing of their populations. The next phase of globalization - Globalization 5.0, - will be characterized by full-scale governmental recognition of advanced technology as the key driver for personal and national health and wealth.

Fusing DeepTech

DeepTech commoditization will also facilitate the transition of emerging technologies from expensive R&D to market-ready consumer products and services. All this will be fuelled by the 5th Industrial Revolution, representing a force of unification and cultural preservation.

Making optimistic bets on the extreme pace of technological progress is not enough. While all this is inevitable, and the raw intelligence and capacity of humanity will eventually surmount all roadblocks, we must optimize the outcomes of technological advances with a stronger, more decisive approach to DeepTech—and it's our duty to do so.

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When the next chapter of globalization unfolds and knowledge truly becomes more powerful than capital—giving nearly everyone an equal opportunity to health, wealth, technology and personal development - we will all start speaking the same language.

Dmitry Kaminskiy
The writer is General Partner, Deep Knowledge Group
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